That’s how friends and coworkers are remembering Mike McCormick and Aaron Smeltzer, the WYFF journalists who were killed Monday by a falling tree while covering the aftermath of heavy rains associated with Alberto in Western North Carolina.

The two were traveling on Highway 176 near Tryon, North Carolina when the tree fell on their station vehicle in what colleagues say was a freak accident.

Just a few seconds earlier or later, and they might still be alive.

“They were driving at the time. The engine was still running and the car was in drive,” said WYFF News Director Bruce Barkley. “Just at that time, that place.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol Trooper Rico Stephens said the region had been soaked by heavy rains in the past couple of weeks and the tree fell over in saturated soil.

The deaths stunned the industry.

“You understand as a reporter ... that things can happen, but you don’t necessarily think about that being a risk,” said Beth Brotherton, a former WYFF anchor who worked with McCormick. “It’s hard to comprehend.”

“You leave your house to cover a story, and it never occurs to you that you won’t be coming back if it’s in not a war zone or bad neighborhood or police activity,” said Dave Jordan, a reporter who worked with Smeltzer at WSPA.

“This was not a flash flood or a hurricane. Just rain and a tree falling on a car," he added. “All of us are really in shock.”

WYFF News 4 Anchor Mike McCormick(Photo: Provided by WYFF)

By all accounts, both men, just 36, were “journalists to the core.”

They were often on the front lines of some of the biggest stories, from crimes to hurricanes, Barkley said.

McCormick, who was originally from Florida, had been with WYFF for 11 years. He’d recently moved from reporting to anchoring Sunday night broadcasts and was set to take on Saturday night anchoring as well, he said.

“He was one of our go-to reporters and was a terrific live reporter,” Barkley said. “He was growing in our newsroom.”

While Smeltzer had worked in the region for a decade, he’d been with WYFF only a short time, Barkley said.

“He was a great spirit in our newsroom and had a huge smile that was infectious,” he said. “He was dedicated to our industry and a great photojournalist.”

Brotherton remembers seeing McCormick’s resume tape and thinking the station needed to hire him fast.

“He was spectacular at breaking news,” she recalled. “At the same time, it always came with heart. He was an incredible story-teller. And he showed compassion for the people he was interviewing even in the most difficult situations. He never lost sight of the fact that he was telling the stories of real people.”

Marc Dopher worked as a sports anchor and reporter with McCormick for about three years at WYFF, sharing their lives while they waited for Sunday night football to end so they could go on the air.

“Mike was a pro’s pro. He was really good at what he did," he said. "He always found a different angle. He told a great story and had great contacts, and he had those contacts because people trusted him.”

On the personal side, McCormick was “the nicest guy in the room,” Brotherton said.

“With most of us, there are things that annoy people about us. I can be forgetful, abrasive, all sorts of things. And Mike was none of those things,” she said. “He was just so easy to be around and so easy to talk to. He was genuinely caring. A kind soul.”

Known for throwing “epic” Halloween parties, McCormick was also a talented cook and passionate foodie.

“He was always bringing the most amazing food to every pot luck or party,” Brotherton said. “And if you didn’t show up at his Halloween party in a costume, oh my God.”

Dopher also characterized McCormick as an excellent cook.

“People would pay him to make desserts for their wedding," he said. "It would not have surprised me at some point if Mike would have gone on to cook.”

Aaron Smeltzer of WYFF-TV, Greenville, S.C., was a photojournalist on a weather assignment when a tree fell on his station's vehicle May 28, 2018, near Tryon, N.C.(Photo: Courtesy of WYFF-TV, Greenville, S.C.)

Former WYFF executive producer Akili Franklin started at the station a few months before McCormick. As a result, the two became fast friends, even after she left in 2014.

“We were like two peas in a pod,” she said. “We used to do a lot of stuff together all the time. Like all the festivals, Fall for Greenville, Artisphere. We always went out to dinner or hung out.”

One of their best times together, she said, was interviewing Dolly Parton - they both were big fans.

Franklin remembers McCormick as “a beautiful soul” who was nice to everyone and always made her feel like the funniest person in the world.

“I knew when I talked to him there would always be laughter, even if it was a quick conversation or a text. Every memory is fun and laughter. I don’t remember a bad time with Michael," she said.

“And he was the best cook. I used to call him Chef Mike.”

Akili said she and McCormick stayed close, supporting each other through life’s ups and downs. They last spoke Sunday night.

“He was such a good person,” she said. “It’s beyond tragic.”

Friends and colleagues had high praise for Smeltzer as well.

Anderson Independent Mail photographer Ken Ruinard covered stories alongside Smeltzer and remembered him as “a regular guy who had a big heart for his fellow journalists,” helping whenever he could and offering advice about the best equipment to use.

“When they were deciding whether (accused Townville Elementary School shooter) Jesse Osborne was going to be tried as an adult, there was a photo pool, and as pool photographers, you’re supposed to help each other out. But a lot of times, you find they don’t,” he recalled. “He didn’t have to help, but he did.”

Like others in the industry, Ruinard also was stunned by the way the two died.

“We drive up on things all the time, chase weather, and you cover stories where other people have these accidents,” he said. “You just never know who it’s going to be. Sometimes it’s somebody you know.”

Smeltzer, a native of Virginia, also left his mark on Greenville News staffers.

Reporter Elizabeth LaFleur, who worked with him for three years at WSPA where she was a newscast producer, remembers him as friendly, kind and always smiling - inside and outside of work.

“One holiday night in particular when I happened to be the only person in the newsroom for a few hours ... Aaron made a point of eating his dinner with me in the newsroom instead of in the editing rooms where photographers usually spent most of their time at the station," she said.

“I remember talking with him about wrestling, a subject I knew nothing about, and making jokes about life in the TV news business,” she added. “Aaron went out of his way to show that type of kindness to people.”

One day last year, LaFleur ran into Smeltzer at a Record Store Day event and noticed he had a limited edition record of one of her favorite artists. She mentioned that she’d been hoping to get it, but had arrived too late.

“I was just making conversation and never would have asked him for it, but, without hesitation, he gave me the record,” she said. “That’s just the kind of guy he was – quick to want to put a smile on your face.”

News reporter Daniel Gross met Smeltzer when he was looking for a home in his neighborhood, unaware that they’d soon be going up against one another covering breaking news. At the time, Gross was working at the Spartanburg Herald Journal.

“Aaron was a breath of fresh air to the journalism community, always lending a hand even though we worked for competing news organizations,” he said. “I always looked forward to seeing Aaron out on a story. His professionalism and compassion for others was unlike anything I had seen in a long time.”

Even though they were competitors in a fast-paced and demanding industry, Smeltzer reached out on Facebook to offer a compliment and share his hopeful attitude, Gross said.

“Covering news in the Upstate just won't be the same without Aaron and Mike,” he said. “I grew to enjoy seeing both of them out working a story.

"They always had time to ask about my personal life in between covering a breaking news assignment," he added. "I am praying for comfort for their families, as I can expect their grief is beyond measure from this. That grief is certainly felt by the local news community.”

“I work on the WSPA-TV show Your Carolina as a field producer and he was assigned to help us when we did one of our shows from the Carolina Panther Training Camp,” she said.

“It was blazing hot and everyone was cranky except for him," she added. "He jumped in with suggestions about the best way to turn the camera and how to get the best shots. He helped me round up Panther Fans and he had joy on his face the whole time. Even in the worst conditions he remained positive with a smile on his face.”

And anchor/reporter Diane Lee became great friends with Smeltzer during the seven years she worked with him at WSPA, including winning Emmy awards for their stories.

“We both shared a real passion for this job and he helped make any story that much better,” she said. “He truly loved what he did. He was so creative.”

Smeltzer was an honest and gentle soul, Lee said.

“Even in this fast-paced world of reporting the news, he took time to be human first,” she said. “I will miss him every day.”

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Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, N.C is completely flooded on May 30, 2018 as a result of heavy rain throughout Western North Carolina. Thousands of people were evacuated in North Carolina amid mudslides and flooding as Alberto, now a tropical depression, continued its sodden march inland. Matt Burkhartt, Asheville Citizen-Times via USA TODAY Network

Local residents position a road closed sign at the entrance to the Lake Tahoma Dam on May 30, 2018, in McDowell County, five miles north of downtown Marion, N.C. Continuous rain over the last several days has raised the water level of the dam and forced evacuations of local residents. Kathy Kmonicek, AP

American flags placed in honor of Memorial Day are reflected in puddles at the Panama City Marina as Subtropical Storm Alberto approaches Panama City, Fla., May 28, 2018. JOSHUA BOUCHER, News Herald via AP

Sea turtle nest monitors with the Clearwater Marine Aquarium return in the rain from north end of Clearwater Beach, Fla., as rain falls on the beach early Sunday morning May 27, 2018. Jim Damaske, Tampa Bay Times via AP

This image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Subtropical Storm Alberto in the Caribbean on May 25, 2018, giving an early kickoff to the Atlantic hurricane season one week ahead of schedule.
Alberto formed about 55 miles south of Cozumel, off of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION /AFP/GETTY IMAGES

A cyclist tries to stay dry along Collins Ave. in Miami Beach, Fla. on May 25, 2018. Rain from Subtropical Storm Alberto is expected to will drench the Memorial Day weekend. Jim Rassol/, JIM RASSOL/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL/AP

Mario Badia and his brother, Robert Badia, fish on the edge of a boat dock at Holiday Park as dark rain clouds loom in the distance in Davie, Fla. on May 25, 2018. Chances of rain, as forecast by the National Weather Service, are at 80 percent and 70 percent throughout the Memorial Day weekend. TAIMY ALVAREZ/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL/AP

Alicia Herrera,10, visiting from Germany doesn't let dark clouds ruin her day at beach in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on May 25, 2018. A flood watch is expected for South Florida on Saturday morning as a result of Subtropical Storm Alberto. CARLINE JEAN/SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL/AP

Nicholas Filipich of Biloxi, Miss., shovels sand for sand bags into his grandfather's truck on May 24, 2018. Filipich was helping his grandfather prepare for expected heavy rains over the weekend. THE SUN HERALD/JOHN FITZHUGH/AP

Empty beaches and low-hanging clouds are shown on May 25, 2018, at Fort Lauderdale Beach in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A storm kicking up in the Caribbean Sea is threatening to bring heavy rainfall and flash floods to parts of Mexico, Cuba, Florida and the eastern U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend and possibly beyond. Wilfredo Lee, AP